Sterk emphasized that the situation remains preliminary, fluid and undecided. No offer has been made by the Big East to SDSU, he said.

A spokesman for SDSU President Elliot Hirshman said Hirshman is referring questions on the matter to Sterk.

Boise State President Bob Kustra said earlier this week that the formation of a western division of the Big East is necessary for the Broncos to join the conference. Boise State has been pursued by the Big East, and Kustra recently received permission from his state board of education to join that league.

Kustra said Southern Methodist, Houston, Air Force and one other western school could make up such a division but declined to specify which western schools are in discussions to join the Big East. Adding San Diego would fit the Big East’s proposed pattern of adding big TV markets in the Southwest and West, including Dallas (SMU) and Houston.

The western division champ would play the eastern division champ in a Big East championship game, Kustra said.

Air Force apparently is still weighing a move to the Big East from the Mountain West. If Air Force decides not to move, the Big East might need two other western teams to fill out that proposed division with Boise State.

San Diego State has been pursuing a move to a more lucrative conference, having sent information about itself to the Big 12 and Big East. Such a move could dramatically increase revenues for the Aztecs, which receive about $1.5 million per year in TV money as a member of the Mountain West. If they joined the Big East, that amount probably could at least double and possibly approach $10 million or more when the Big East negotiates a new TV contract.

Unlike the Mountain West, the Big East also has automatic annual access to lucrative Bowl Championship Series games. It’s not clear if the Big East would keep that access beyond January 2014, but by adding Boise State, it would be in better position to hold on to it.

The league has been struggling to survive after Syracuse (Atlantic Coast Conference), Pitt (ACC), Texas Christian (Big 12) and West Virginia (Big 12) decided to join other leagues. That left the Big East with just five future football members: South Florida, UConn, Louisville, Rutgers and Cincinnati.

If SDSU left the Mountain West, the Aztecs would be on the hook for an exit fee depending on when they would leave. It could be around $3 million to $5 million and possibly much more if they left for 2012.